Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-12-16

to return in the payment of the increase in
price which the tariff permits, the hard
earned compensation Of many days Of toll
THE FARMER AND WOOL GROVE
The farmer and the agriculturist who
manufactures nothing but who pay the in
every agri cultural implement upon all he
wears and upon all he uses and owns except
I the increase of his hocks ana herds and
such things as his husDanQry produces from
/ the soil is invited to maintain the present
/ situation, and he is told a high duty on inn
/ posted wool IS necessary for the benefit OF
| those who have sheep to shear IN order that
the price OF their wool may be increased.
They OF CouEse are not reminded that the
I farmer who has no sheep Is by this scheme
obliged IN his purchase OF clothing and
I wooden goods to pay a tribute to the his
/ fellow farmer as well as to the manufactures
| and merchant. Nor Is any mention made
I Of the fact that sheep owners themselves
/ and their households must wear clothing
and use other articles manufactured from
/ the wool they sell at tariff prices and thus
l this as consumers must return then
/ share Of the increased price TO tradesmen. ]
/ think il may be fairly assumed that a large
/ proportion of the sheep owned by the farmers
i throughout the country, are found IN small
/ hoclEs numbering from tWenty-hvetO fifteen.
/ The duty on the grade of imported wool
/ which these sheep yield Is 10 cents for each
| pound, if of the value of so cents or less,
/ and y cents if Of the value of more than 30
| cents. If the liberal estimate of six pounds
| be allowed for each heece5 the duty thereon
would be 60 or 20 cents, and this may be
| taken as the utmost enhancement of its price
l to the farmer by reason Of this duty.
| Eighteen dollars would thus represent the
! increased price Of the wool from twenty-five
sheep and $50 that from the wool of nifty
/ sheep and at present values this addition
/ would amount to about One-third of its
/ price. il upon its sale the farmer receives
/ this or less tariff profit the wool leaves his
hands charged with precisely that sum,
which IN all Its changes viii adhere to it,
/ until it reaches the consumer. When manu-
| featured into cloth and other goods and ma
tsrial for use its cost is not only increased to
| the extent of the farmers tariff pr. tit, but
/ further sum has been added for the benefit
/ of the manufacturer under the operation of
I other tariff laws. IL the meantime the day
/ arrives when the farmer finds it necessary to
purchase wooden goods and material to
clOthe himself and family for the winter.
When he faces the tradesman for
/ that purpose he discovers that he is
/ obliged not only to return, in the way of in
| creased prices, his tariff profit on the wool
I he sold, and which then perhaps lies before
him IN manufactured form, but that he must
| add a considerable sum thereto to meet
I further increase IN cost caused by a tariff
| duty on the manufacture. Thus IN the end
/ he is aroused to the fact that he has paid
upon a moderate purchase as a result of the
tariff scheme which, when he sold his wool,
] seemed 50 profitable an increase in price
more than sufficient to sweep away all the
| tariff profit he received upon the wool be
| produced ana sold. When the number of
l farmers engaged IN wool raising Is compared
with all the farmers in the country and the
small proportion they bear 10 our popula-
/ ton is considered, then it Is made apparent
that in the case of large part Of those who
own sheep the benentOf the present tariff on
/ wool is illusory and above all when 1t must
/ be conceded that the increase of the cost of
| living caused by such tariff becomes a bur
/ den upon those with moderate means and
I the poor, the employed and unemployed, the
/ sick and WELL and the young and old, and
l that it constitutes a tax which, with relent-
| less grasp, IS fastened upon the clothing of
| every man, woman and child IN the land.
| Reasons are suggested why removal or re-
| duction of this duty should be included in a
| revision Of our tariff laws.
TEE GROWTH or TRUSTS"
Inspealring Of the increased cost 20 the con
EJner OF our home manufactures resulting
r1m the duty laid upon imported articles of
the same desrs ptiOn the fact is no overlooked
that competitor among our domestic pro
ducers sometimes has the effect Of keeping
the price of their products below the highest
limit allO ed by such duty. But 1t Is nOtO-
rious that this competition is too often
strangled by combinations quite prevalent
at this time and frequently called ''trusts,"
! which have for their object the regulation of
the supply and price OF commodities made
and sold by members of the combination.
! The people can hardly hope for any cOnsid-
eraLIOu IN the operation or these Selnsh
Q ~Nl-Cl-4C5a IL however III LlAE hD5ELlGG u
such combination healthy and free cOmpe-
ttLon reduces the price of any particular du-
] uaDle article of home production below the
limit which it might otherwise reach under
our tariff laws, and If with such reduced
| price its manufacture continues to thrive it
Is entirely evident that one thing has been
discovered which should be carefully scrutI-
nlzed IN an effort to reduce taxation. The
necessity of combination to maintain the
| price of any commodity to tariff point furn-
| lshes proof that some one is willing to ac-
cept lower prices for such commodity and
| that such prices are remuueratiVe and lower
prices produced by competition prove the
same thing. Thus where either of these COZ
d1tIOns exist q case would seem to be pre-
scented for an easy reduction Of taxation.
AN APPEAL TO MANUFACTURERS.
The considerations which have been pre-
scented touching our tariff laws are intended
| only to enforce an earnest recommendation
/ that the surplus revenues of the government
| be prevented by the reduction of our custom
duties and at the same time to emphasize a
suggestion that IN accomplishing this puf-
/ pose We may discharge a double duty to our
| people by granting TO them a measure OF
relief from tariff taxation in quarters
where it is most needed and from sources
winch II can be most fairly and justly accord
ed. Nor can the presentation made OF such
considerations be with any degree of fairness
regarded as evidence Of unfrisndliness to-
ward our manufacturing interests or of any
lack or appreciation OF their value and I'M
pOrtanC6. These interests constitute a lead
ing and most substantial element Of our
national greatness and furnish the proud
proof Of our countEy's progress. But
IN the emergency that presses
rs on, our manufacturers are asked TO sur
render something for the public good, and
to avert disaster, their patriotism as well as
a grateful recollection of the advantages al
ready afforded should lead them to willingly
cooperate. No demand is made that they
shall fOregO all the benefits of government
al regards, but they cannot fail to be ad-
monished of their duty as well as their en-
lghtened self interest and safety when they
are reminded of the fact that financial panic
and collapse, to which the present condition
tends afford no greater shelter or protection
to our manufacturers than to our other I'M
pOrtant enterprises. An opportunity for
safe, careful and deliberate reform Is now
offered, and none Of Us should be unmindful
of the time when an abused and lErltated
people, needless of those who have resisted
timely and reasonable relief, may insist up
on radical and sweeping rectihcatlon OF
their wrongs.
DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME.
The difficulty attending wise and fair re-
vision Of our tariff laws as Not under-6s1-
congress great labor and care, and esp5-
clally g broad and national contemplation
OF the subject, ana a patriotic disregard OF
such local and selfish claims as are unres-
sOnable and reckless of the welfare of the
entire cOuntr. Under our preseutta more
than 4, 600 articles are subject to duty. Many
OF these do not Ia any way compete with our
own manufactures and many are hardly
worth attention as subjects OF revenue. A
considerable reduction can be made In the
aggregate by adding them to the free. list
The taxation of Injuries presents no features
OF hardship; but the nec6ssaEies OF life used
and consumed by all the people, the duty upon
which adds to the cost Ofliving in every home,
should be greatly cheapened. The radical
reduction of the duties imposed upon raw
material used in manufactures, or its free
taH - Of